After years of wanting to make the Roar & Soar vintage
event and years of excuses, we finally made the trek
south to sunny and warm Florida. The weather was sunny
and warm, the water was flat and the vintage race boats
were beautiful and fast. We also got to meet Kermit
Weeks and see his Fantasy of Flight
museum of vintage aircraft.We and we had a great time
and a great vacation.

As expected, the boat count was well over 70, with 68
boats inspected and running some pretty hot laps. Some
of the hottest vintage aircraft in the world were also
roaring into the skies throughout the day, along with
giant scale radio controlled aircraft, powered
paragliders and hang glider pilots.

We took well over 400 pictures and videos on Saturday,
the first day and many more on Sunday. Jack
Lowe was also down here taking pictures and videos, so
there will be full coverage posted during the next
several days. Please check back here often and follow
our progress, as we edit and post our Recap & Photos
!!!

Many thanks to Dick Whyte, Marty Ferry and the entire CRA crew for a fantastic vintage event. We had a great
time and now Roar & Soar in on our annual schedule, so
look for our NH Navy again at Roar & Soar 2011.

The first impression for participants at any vintage event is
the required registration process, where forms are filled out,
releases are signed and wristbands are issued. Registration at
Soar & Soar began bright and early on Saturday morning with
Clair Ferry and here crew at the registration tent. They went
out of their way to make us feel welcomed as we filled out the
dreaded paperwork and they actually made the process enjoyable -
thank you Clair !!!

The Drivers Meeting was next, with Dave Richardson and Marty
Ferry going through all the safety rules. This is always
important and very serious stuff, complete with roll call to
ensure that all drivers and riders are present.

Then it was time to greet our friends, stage the race boats
into position, and take some photos.

We walked around and got a shot of all the boats - well over
70 race boats !!!

Then it was time to "get them wet"
as we ran heats of vintage race boats all day Saturday !!!

At noontime, we walked over to the Fantasy of Flight for
some air conditioning, lunch and a tour of Kermit Weeks'
fantastic museum of vintage aircraft, awesome!!

On Saturday evening we gathered to celebrate at the
wonderful Fantasy of Flight
for a grand feast with all the participants. Special tributes
were presented to the founding fathers of the Roar & Soar
event, Tom D'Eath and Bill Feikert. And the last photo below is perhaps the
best and most joyful of all, a celebration by event organizers
Clair & Marty Ferry with Kermit Weeks.

On Sunday morning, the first heat was Wain Trotter in his 280
hydroplane The Specialist running a couple of laps to
warm up the motor and test the course, before handing the
cockpit over to Kermit for his very first time driving a vintage
hydroplane !!!

Then it was time for Kermit to make his debut in a vintage
280 hydroplane. No problem, after a few shakedown laps The
Specialist was running at full speed on the beautiful early
morning flat water of Lake Agnes at the Fantasy of Flight

Many thanks to
Kermit Weeks, Dick Whyte, Marty Ferry, Tom D'Eath, Bill
Feikert and the entire CRA crew for a fantastic vintage event. We had a great
time and now Roar & Soar in on our annual schedule.
So
look for our NH Navy again at Roar & Soar 2011 !!!